October is Soviet Jewry Month

Mayor Sam Yorty has proclaimed Oct. as Soviet Jewry Month and will be marked by a number of activities, it was announced here by Cyrus Levinthal, chairman of the Commission on Soviet Jewry of the Community Relations Committee of the Jewish Federation-Council. The annual Simchat Torah “Dance in the Streets,” demonstrating solidarity with Soviet Jewry, will be held next Saturday evening. Thousands of young people are expected to turn out to participate in folk singing and dancing to parallel that which will be done by young Soviet Jews in front of Russian synagogues in expressing their Jewishness, Levinthal said. Jewish and non-Jewish community leaders and organizations also plan an 40-day vigil to start at noon Oct, 14.

Daily “minyans” will meet at noon before key civic structures. JFC president Albert A. Spiegel said, “We hope that this unusual demonstration will make the Russians more aware of the concern of all Americans for the plight of Soviet Jews.” A Soviet Jewry Freedom Bus will arrive in Los Angeles Oct. 19 and remain the next day as part of a 30-city tour across the country. A mobile display will be shown to high school and college students. The bus will be staffed by two young Soviet Jews recently immigrated from Russia to Israel, and by three American students. The Commission on Soviet Jewry also has been leading a drive to collect 33,771 signatures on a petition memorializing the slaughter 30 years ago of nearly 100,000 people at Babi Yar. The petition will be presented to Soviet authorities.